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lindseyzank's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant, beautifully rendered depiction of the Civil Rights Movement. Even though Lewis is at the heart of this story, it’s really a celebration and honoring of all of the folks and organizations who were boots on the ground during one of the most difficult and divisive times in our country’s history. This trilogy really serves as a crash course history of sorts of the movement. Lewis juxtaposes the inauguration of Barack Obama with his life story in order to trace the progression of the Civil Rights Movement and highlight its ultimate wins for African Americans in this country. I’m not a big graphic novel reader and did find some of the pages and panels to be quite busy (I wasn’t sure at times what to read first in many of the panels) but the illustrations are stunning, and Nate Powell, the illustrator, uses color and shading to capture all of the emotions and adversity that were involved with fighting for equality in the 1960s. I would consider this required reading for anyone looking to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement and how events unfolded; the narrative covers a lot of ground: the murder of Emmett Till, the 1963 bombing of the Birmingham church, the founding of SNCC, the founding of SCLC, dozens of imprisonments of activists, the Greensboro sit-ins and subsequent protest of businesses, the assassination of JFK, and the Freedom Summer in Mississippi, just to name a handful of them. The trilogy really offers comprehensive coverage and should be read together (rather than as separate books). I really loved this!
ashkitty93's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic novel memoirs are such an incredible medium. Congressman Lewis’s story is beautifully sketched here. Getting the other two volumes ASAP.
kasfeldt's review against another edition
5.0
A truly unique way of telling the life story of this truly unique man. Congressman John Lewis was instrumental in so many events that changed this country, and his life feel aptly celebrated in the illustrations, the message, and the hope that soars off the page.
carolynaugustyn's review against another edition
4.0
BookRiot's 2017 Read Harder Challenge- Read a book with a character of color and a spiritual journey
This was a fantastic book and a really powerful first hand account of the Civil Rights Movement. John Lewis has been in the news recently and I admired what he had to say about rights/how our country should be moving forward, which prompted me to give this a read. I found his background to be very interesting and learning how the peaceful protesting/sit ins were arranged was very important- something I had never learned about in schools and probably should have learned more about. I can't wait to continue on with the series and learn more about the movement and also about this fantastic Congressman.
This was a fantastic book and a really powerful first hand account of the Civil Rights Movement. John Lewis has been in the news recently and I admired what he had to say about rights/how our country should be moving forward, which prompted me to give this a read. I found his background to be very interesting and learning how the peaceful protesting/sit ins were arranged was very important- something I had never learned about in schools and probably should have learned more about. I can't wait to continue on with the series and learn more about the movement and also about this fantastic Congressman.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful and excellent. Lewis exposes his incredible history to an entirely new audience by presenting it in a graphic novel, and the format works surprisingly well. Having illustrations accompany the words fully drives home the importance and risk of the actions that Lewis and individuals like him engaged in during the Civil Rights Movement. I look forward to reading the next two books within this trilogy to complete his admirable story.
pamiverson's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic memoir of Representative John Lewis's life, particularly his days in the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday and the Selma-to-Montgomery March. A very accessible way to share important and difficult parts of our country's history.
deepfreezebatman's review
5.0
Wow! What a powerful story. The artwork is amazing.. very creative yet dignified, so vicious but not excessive. I usually don't read a lot of historical/non fiction comics, but I think that should change.
amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful. I saw some negative reviews regarding the graphic novel format of this book, but I think that it made it more accessible.
2021 Reading Challenge - ATY - A book whose cover shows more than two people
2021 Reading Challenge - PopSugar - A book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list
2021 Reading Challenge - ATY - A book whose cover shows more than two people
2021 Reading Challenge - PopSugar - A book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list
jonbrammer's review against another edition
5.0
What is most important about the March series is that it goes into specifics not just the important events leading up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but the strategy and internal conflict within the various organizations that made up the civil rights movement. Here we have the backstory of how John Lewis joined the movement, and the early victories in desegregating lunch counters in Nashville, where Lewis went to divinity school.
Training in principles of non-violence was essential to the success of the movement. This is a point that is increasingly important in today's civil rights activism - people need to be educated not just in the ideas behind the movement, but the strategy that can best effect structural change.
Training in principles of non-violence was essential to the success of the movement. This is a point that is increasingly important in today's civil rights activism - people need to be educated not just in the ideas behind the movement, but the strategy that can best effect structural change.
lavendermarch's review against another edition
4.0
School read. Good. Graphic novels aren't really my thing though.